" A LETTER TO WITCHES" is a document that can be found at several Christian anti-Pagan sites.

I see from the pentagram you wear and all your magical charms that you believe in the power of magic.

Yes I do. Magick, to me, is a way to subtley alter the chaos factor in a event, it also works through persuading your unconscious mind.

Perhaps you have attended a Wiccan gathering or you have participated in some magic rituals.

Yes I have. Publically, I have attended three full moon rituals, two Samhain rituals, one handfasting, a Kaballic circle and a Pagan Pride gathering circle. All the other rituals I have done by myself or with a couple of close friends.

I don't know. But so many questions fill my mind. Have you "drawn down the moon" yet?

No, but I have friends that have and they describe it as being a powerful, moving experience.

Have you ever felt a power come upon you?

Absolutely! The warmth and love of the people at the Pagan Pride Day was amazing! Also, whenever a magick circle is cast, or energy is directed towards a task, I feel the energy flow.

Do you worship a particular goddess?

I believe in a God and a Goddess, the God being the divine masculine and the Goddess being the divine feminine. The God's symbol is the sun, while the Goddess' symbol is the moon. When I am trying to focus on a certain aspect of the Gods, I choose deities that reflect that aspect. For example, Goddesses that I would choose might be: Aphrodite for love, Pele for strength and power, Kwan Yin for compassion, etc.

Have you been initiated?

I self-dedicated at the age of 16. I devoted my life to the God and the Goddess.

Do you have a Wiccan name?

Yes, it is Dreamtoucher.

Have you gone skyclading?

Actually. the term is "Skyclad" - an adjective meaning "clad only by the sky." It means naked, basically. I have only gone skyclad when I have been doing a ritual alone. It is a personal choice to be skyclad or not, and some people are not confident enough in their bodies to be naked in front of others.

Are you in the outer or inner circle?

The what? Wiccans don't have a hierarchy. There is an awknowledgement of knowledge, and some groups have gone so far to attribute titles according to knowledge and experience (ie. First Degree, Second Degree, etc.), but I have never heard of the inner or outer circle.

Have you used blood in your rituals?

There are only two rituals that I know of that use blood, and neither involve cutting someone else, an animal, or yourself. In the first ritual, the blood used is a woman's menstral blood, and she collects it to offer to the Gods and give back to the earth in thanks for her fertility and femininity. The second ritual doesn't use blood per se, but the placenta after a woman gives birth to a child. The placenta is saved, and later given back to the earth in thanks for the birth and health of her child. There is no animal or human sacrifice in Wicca.

Have you ever called forth a familiar spirit?

I have asked animal spirits to guide me. Like for instance, I asked the spirit of the bear to lend me strength.

The reason I am writing you is that I have studied the occult for thirty years and I have come to certain conclusions.

You are entitled to your own opinion, but you have to keep in perspective certain facts. Wiccans don't worship Satan. We don't sacrifice animals or people. We live by one rule: "An ye harm none, do what ye will." Which means "don't hurt anyone else." I know a lot of Wiccans who have become vegetarian to avoid causing harm to animals.

Now, I know that you will disagree with some of my conclusions because we have traveled different paths.

True. But, facts are facts. And, because we disagree doesn't make one opinion wrong and one right, they are just opinions.

But I have added the benefit of the testimonies of those who used magick in the highest levels possible such as the Golden Dawn and the O.T.O. and then have come to faith in Christ and now have renounced magic.

And your point is? Many Witches, like myself, used to be Christians and found no salvation in Christ or Christianity. And, as sources, the testimonies would be biased. Firstly, the Golden Dawn and the O.T.O do not encompass all of Paganism. It would be like judging all of Christianity based on the testimonies of just Heaven's Gate Followers and Scientologists, or just Quakers and Menonites. It would not give you an accurate picture. Secondly, those who gave testimonies after becoming Christian would view their past acts through a Christian lens and be biased towards them.

All I ask is that you have an open mind and give serious attention to the things I now bring up. Remember an unexamined faith is a worthless faith.

Wiccans do have an open mind. And, in my experience, Wiccans have examined their faith. In a lot of people I know, they became Wiccan as a result of examining their faith and beliefs. The only thing that we have problems with is that Christianity goes around saying that everyone else is wrong, and that Christianity is the only way.

I have examined my faith very carefully.

I. The fact that magick does not work.

After all the talk about the "power" that people can get from magic, I have never known a more powerless group of people. Many of those who use magic are sick all the time.

Are there not Christians who are still sick, despite how much they pray? And, have you ever gone to the doctor, been prescribed a medication, and found that it didn't help? Or, has a doctor ever thought that you had one illness, when it is actually another? But, you didn't give up on Western Medicine, did you? Wiccans don't believe that magick is a quick cure-all for all their problems, that it just is a tool to help the situation.

They go through mulitple marriages. They have money problems. Their cars get flat tires. They get their share of flus and colds.

The only people I know in my personal experience who have gone through multiple marriages are Christian! Everyone has money problems, gets flat tires, and gets sick at some time in their lives. Was everything you ever asked for in prayer fulfilled? No. Then why would you dismiss magick because it doesn’t work 100% of the time? Nothing works 100% of the time. And, Wiccans don't eexpect magick to be the answer for everything. We believe that no spell will help if you don't do the necessary work yourself. For instance, you need to apply to jobs and send out that resume for the find a job spell to work.

Even more seriously, they cannot beat their own drug or sex addiction. They are usually in bondage and totally powerless to change their life for the better.

I am not addicted to drugs, nor do I know of any Wiccan who is. I am not addicted to sex, nor do I know of any Wiccan who is. I know of many Wiccans who are trying to change their life for the better. Myself, for instance. I am educated, and I plan to persue my education further. I am employed, and I am gaining eexperience towards further employment. I am also involved in a number of charity organizations. How is this in bondage? I am in control of my own life. I have a wonderful relationship with my boyfriend.

If magic really worked, they would never be sick. They would win every horse race in town! They would own Wall Street by now! They would be able to maintain a successful marriage. But the fact is, you waste a lot of money and time on magic and are no better off. In fact, you will end up worse off. If magic worked, witches would be picking up the winning lottery numbers every week. But the fact is that when the "rubber meets the road" magic simply does not work.

Again, nothing works 100%. And, again, most of the people I know who have had multiple marriages are Christian. And, prayer doesn't work 100% for Christians does it? Have Christians given up on prayer then because it isn't reliable?

II. Their lame duck excuses as to why they are sick or why they can't keep their marriage together or why they aren't rich, are weak and feeble.

One psychic "healer" (a relative of mine) is sick all the time. Her husband is dying of cancer! When she boasted to me of her magical powers, I confronted her with the rather obvious fact that her magic did not work for her or her ex-husband. She replied that her magic will not work for herself.

But who says that you cannot heal yourself by magic? Where is it written down? And who says that your husband or wife cannot use magic to heal you? If her magic cannot help herself or her husband, then what good is it?

Again, nothing works 100%. And, as doctors will tell you, sometimes treatment works, sometimes it doesn't. She has just found that in the past when she tried the magick is ineffective on herself. Ask doctors, the most difficult thing is to try to do is to diagnose and treat yourself. That is why doctors go to other doctors! And, maybe her healing doesn't work on cancer. You don't go to a gynecologist to get a liver transplant, so why would you assume that healing magick works on everything? Also, are you saying, that something is not good if it doesn't benefit your family or yourself directly? She is using this gift to help others. Is that not good? Charity is helping others, is it not good?

I could not help but point out that she was always crying about money problems. What use is her magic if it cannot make her rich?

Again, magick doesn't work 100%. And, Wiccans, as a rule, value happiness over material posessions. Money doesn't provide happiness. Also, you haven't mentioned if she has taken steps to help her money situations. Wiccans know that you need to do the necessary work to enable a spell to help you.

III. A magical world view is internally contradictory and hypocritical.

A. To say, "there are no moral absolutes" is to give an absolute.

I have never said this, nor do I know of any Wiccan who has.

To say, "Do what thou wilt, this is the whole of the law" has been used to justify everything from black magic to human sacrifice.

If there are no standards, then on what grounds can they condemn child abuse, Hitler, murder, etc.? They can't.

The rede is "An ye harm none, do what ye will." That means, do what you want as long as you don't hurt someone else. Obviously since "black magic" and human sacrifice is harming someone else, it is against the rede, and Wiccans won't do it. By exention, child abuse, murder, genocide, spousal abuse, etc. are against the rede, and therefore, not done. [And, by the way, Hitler was Christian. And, it was the Church that conducted mass murders via the Crusades and the Inquisition. And, does it not say in the bible, that a man can beat his wife and children with a stick no larger than the width of this thumb (the "rule of thumb") and that they would be better for it?]

C. To say, "everything is relative" and "there is no evil," and then to turn around and say that Christianity is "evil" iscontradictory.

We don’t say Christianity is evil. Nor do we deny the existence of evil. Evil, to us, is supreme selfishness, that a person puts themselves frist over everyone else. That is evil.

We merely think that Christianity has flaws because firstly, a lot of the things Christians have done to others in the name of Jesus are evil, like the Inquisition, the Crusades, slavery of African peoples, persecution of the Jews, etc. Also, Christianity tries to impose its beliefs upon others, and maintains that they are the only way, which is against the rede because it impedes free will. In addition, Christians seem to apply the sentiment "love thy neighbor" only to themselves. Homosexuals are not their neighbor, and are denied equal rights and are persecuted. Doctors who perform abortions are not their neighbor, and have protesters outside their door, get harassed and sometimes even killed. Wiccans too, appear not to be their neighbor, as they are denied wearing their religious symbols in schools, have their custody of their children taken from them simply because of their religion, and have their windows smashed. It seems to promote the attitude that it is okay to hurt someone as long as they aren't Christian. In my experience, they will help another Christian, yet won't help someone else unless they "accept" Christ. And, that is what Wiccans disagree with the most.

D. To say, "Everyone has the right to believe what they want" and then condemn Christians for what they believe is contradictory.

We do not condemn Christians for their beliefs. We simply think that they should embrace the sentiment "love they neighbor" that they pretend to subscribe to, to heart, and accept everyone as their neighbor. Including letting everyone have equal rights. Christians don't believe in this, and therefore are acting against the rede.

E. To say, "Do what thou wilt" and then tell Christians NOT to do what they wilt is hypocritical.

Again, it is "an ye harm none, do what ye will." It is not hypocritical since we look at Christianity through the rede, and see that not only are they harming others, which is against the rede, but a lot of them don't even govern themselves by their own rules.

F. To say, "that it is wrong to judge/condemn others," and then to judge/condemn Christians is contradictory.

We are just trying to correct misconceptions about Wicca and Paganism and promote the human rights of others that are persecuted by Christians.

IV. A magical view of life does not correspond to reality.

The same can be said of the belief in Christ and his "Miracles". Just because one has not personally experienced something does not mean it does not exist. Also, aren't the miracles performed by Christ, not magickal? But, Christians maintain that Christian magic (prayer, laying on hands) is good, and yet all other magic is evil.

G. No magic is going to make you thin if you do not stop eating.

No magic will make you rich if you do not get up and go to work.

Simply substitute the word "prayer" for Magick in the above sentence.

Do Christians still pray? Yes. Wiccans know that for a spell to work, we have to perform the actions necessary to promote it.

H. The claim of modern witches that they are reviving pre-Christian paganism is not true historically. The rituals and beliefs of modern day magic are of recent origin.

Many of the old ways were lost in the Burning Times. But, there are those whose families passed on the information orally from generation to generation. In addition, the Romans kept good records of the peoples they conquered, and a lot of our information, ironically, comes from them. Also, there is evidence of pre-Christian Paganism all around us. Hallowe'en is based on Samhain. A Christmas tree actually started out as a Yule Tree. And, the dates of the Christian holidays were originally centered around the Pagan Calendar. That is why Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25, which is close to Yule (December 21 or 22), rather than in the fall when the census in Jerusalem would have taken place. (Mary and Joseph were going to Bethlehem for the census, according to the bible.) But, I have to admit that a lot of the rituals are written by modern pagans.

I prefer to think of it as the revival of Paganism and Wicca.

I. My brother in law who is in the occult told me he was going to use magic to get himself a parking space in N.Y.C. I in turn told him that I would ask Jesus to get me a space. He drove around for four hours before finding a place while I found one immediately and did not have to go around the block even once! His magic was not even good enough to find him a parking space!

Well, first of all, why would you waste magick on something so trivial? We use our magick to heal others and promote happiness. In addition, "in the occult" does not mean Wiccan or Pagan. Also, by asking Jesus for a space, were you not conducting magic of your own?

J. A magical view of life is a cop out and it breeds irresponsibility . Instead of taking responsibility for their life, those who use magic always blame "bad luck" or claim that someone is using black magic against them. The truth is that YOU are responsible for the choices you make in life - not magic.

A Wiccan accepts full responsibility for their life. We don’t blame bad luck or black magic for our mistakes. We take action, and work towards our goals. Wiccans don't believe in black magic. We believe that magick is an energy, and that it is a neutral force guided by the person using it. "You can use the same match to burn down your house as you would to light your stove, but you don’t call the one kind of fire black and the other white." (Wiccans, Pagans and Magick in the New age by Kevin Marron.)

K. It attracts people with mental problems. Sad but true. I have seen this many, many times. The State Mental Hospitals are filled with people who were users of magic. It appeals to people with those kind of people.

Face it, there are going to be people with mental problems in any religion. One religion does not "attract" mentally disturbed people. There are mentally distrubed people in all segments in the population. For instance, I have seen a Christian website where a woman describes how demons talked to her and how much it scared her. All I thought was, this poor woman needs mental help! When the mentally ill do something wrong, the general population tries to blame it on some group that they could have been categoried into. And, there is not a disproportional number of Wiccans and Pagans in Mental Hospitals.

L. They live in constant fear of the powers they draw down. Hence they need the occult protection of the circles, towers, shields, charms, etc.. What a terrible religion of fear!

Circles are to direct the energy towards a purpose, not to shield it from something negative. Also, do not Christians pray if something bad is happening, like if they are in a plane crash, for instance? Why is asking the Gods for protection through casting a circle any different? I admit that I bless my house, but I also know a Christian family who has their minister bless their house and pets each year. What makes their blessing ok, and my blessing superstitious and fearful?

M. If you depend upon trinkets such as pentagrams to protect you,you do not have any real power. To think that a stupid piece of metal or glass is going to protect you from a demon you summon is absurd.

Wiccans wear pentagrams for the same reason that a Christian would wear a cross: to represent our religion. The pentagram is the symbol of our religion. The points of the pentagram represent the five elements, Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. The Circle around the star represents unity and eternity. Just like a cross, a pentagram is merely a piece of metal, stone, wood or whatever material from which it is made. The power in the symbol is what we endow that symbol through our beliefs. For example, holy water is just water, but since a Priest blessed it, it becomes something more than just water.

Demons are not usually part of the Wiccan belief system. We believe that there are malevolant spirits, but they were people who were evil in life, and therefore, evil after death (if they are still on this plane). But, we would never try to conjure malevolant spirits, only try to remove them.

N. The lust for blood is evil. It has led to horrible crimes. Killing animals and people for their "energy" is wicked as well as criminal.

True. It is evil, and the product of a disturbed mind. That’s why Wiccans don’t sacrifice animals or people. Many of us though, like many Christians, do eat meat, for food energy, and of course, the animals we eat have to be killed. Do you consider meat producers to be wicked and criminal?

O. Sex magic is filthy and gross beyond words and involves child abuse, bestiality, sodomy, etc. You will never have a normal satisfying sex life once you debase yourself in sex magic.

Sex magick does not involve child abuse or beastiality. It is about relearning an appreciation for your partner. Taking the time to appreciate your partner and their form in the fullest extent and direct your love to them in an almost tangible energy through your bodies. It is a celebration of life and love. I have done some sex magick, and I have a completely normal, satisfying sex life.

P. Magic is for losers.The greatest magickians always end up broke, alone, and miserable.Check to see what happend to people like Crowley. They were all losers.

Also, it isn't very neighborly of you to call other people losers. And, what ever happened to the supposed Christian sentiment that everyone was equal? Isn't calling someone a loser demeaning them?

Whenever a true Christian challenges them, the magicians always lose. I have challenged occultist to take their best shot and they always failed. On one occasion, a coven sent demons to kill me but I didn't even get a headache!

Wiccans and Pagans don't believe in demons, and would not wish harm on anyone else because it is against the rede. And, did they tell you they were sending demons or did you just "know" they were? And, the only thing that Pagans might wish Christians is that they live up to their own standards. Someone who would do deliberate harm to another is not Wiccan.

Q. While there is a lot of hate and lust in magic, there is no love. If you leave or reveal the secrets, they will try to kill you. I helped to move a girl from Philadelphia to Florida to escape her former occult friends. If they really loved her, why did they try to kill her? If she wanted to leave the group, why did they object to her doing what she wilt?

There is a lot of love in any of the Wiccan groups I have ever gone to. There is a genuine feeling of family and sharing. We have our love for the Goddess and the God, love for nature, and love for eachother.

That group you mentioned harassing that poor girl sounds like some group of wackos, definitely not Wiccans. Again, a Wiccan would not want to harm another. In the Craft, One is free to come, go, change traditions, whatever. Your spirit belongs only to you. And more, we do not proseletyze or recruit.

R. There is no forgiveness, comfort or salvation in magick. It has no Savior or God who loves and cares for you.

We live within the love of the Goddess and God. As for forgiveness, we can ask it of those we have hurt, or ask it of the Gods if they are unreachable. Like, for instance, as an atonement for accidentally running over a squirrel, my friend has volunteered at the local animal shelter, fed the squirrels and birds in her backyard from then on, and has paid more attention while driving at night.

The occult is lonely, sad, cold and sterile.

As a solitary for so long, I did feel alone, but recently I have met a great deal of other people. Our circles and meetings are always fun. I seem to be meeting more and more people.

S. The Bible says that true power behind the magickal arts is satanic. Those who deny this are dupes of the devil.

Just because the bible says something doesn't mean it is true. Firstly, the bible has been re-written by committee several times, so the bible you refer to isn't the original bible at all. Also, Wiccan's don't believe in the devil, the devil is a Judeo-Christian construct. Also, there are countless contradictions in the bible. For example, the bible said that Adam would surely die on the day he ate of the forbidden fruit, but then it says Adam lived over 800 years!

These are just a few things that came to mind as I thought about what I have seen in thirty years of research in the occult.

The Lord Jesus Christ has broken the power of magic and has brought life, love and immortality to light through the Gospel. Jesus is Victor! The occult has nothing to offer that compares with the love of Jesus. Turn to Him in repentance. Renounce your witchcraft and the works of the devil. Burn your magic books and smash your altars. Turn or burn. Repent or perish! Jesus is the answer. John 3:36.

So much for love thy neighbor. Is that a threat? Talk about scare tactics. Once again, this just illustrates how the Christian love thy neighbor sentiment seems only to apply to other Christians.

May you find happiness,

Dreamtoucher